Man arrested in downtown Berkeley stabbing

A man has been taken into custody after an apparently random attack tonight in downtown Berkeley, police said.

The stabbing, near Haste Street and Shattuck Avenue, was reported at about 4:40 p.m. Friday, said Lt. Ed Spiller of the Berkeley Police Department. A Berkeleyside reader on Facebook said six or seven police cruisers, along with a crime scene van, were still on scene as of about 5:50 p.m.

The man who was stabbed was taken to the hospital for medical care, but his injuries did not appear to be life-threatening, said Spiller, adding that he was waiting to receive an update about the victim’s condition.

Spiller said police aren’t looking for any other suspects, and that the victim and assailant appeared to have been strangers with no prior conflicts.

“It looks like the victim was just attacked by the suspect,” Spiller said. The men’s ages and cities of residence were not available at the time of publication.

As of about 6:40 p.m., Spiller said police were in the process of booking the suspect into custody on suspicion of assault. His name was not immediately available.